Hi I am going to gravity bleed my brakes. I will open all the bleeders and wait for fluid to come out. My questions are as follows. Do I have to check every hour to make sure the master does not go dry. How long does this process generally take. And any tips on how to refill the master easily? Any tips will be appreciated.

Jerry

 

I would suggest using a pressure bleeder , super easy to build your own . Just google home made pressure bleeder . Mine cost me under $20.00 to make ,works like a charm .

 

I also find it easy to loosen the bleeder screw & attach a piece of hose to it and run it in a bottle of fluid, then pump the brakes until the air is out. I also have a hand pump that will draw the fluid ino the lines & a bottle which is also pretty easy I'm not sure how much I paid for the pump, n either cas you have to make sure th M/C doesn't run dry. I've never tried gravity bleeding before.

 

It won't work if the M/C is under the floor...

 

ok so I think everyone suggest open bleeder and pump brakes. And put hose in a bottle with brake fluid. And Al said that it wont work if I have the master mounted on the frame. I have to ask why it wont work. Thanks for all the information.

Jerry

 

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the 'gravity' will work because your wheel cylinders are higher than your MC.

 

I would suspect a gravity bleed would work if you parked the truck on a steep incline so as to get the bled end lower than the master cylinder. Use the correct tools as mentioned or enlist the help of a friend who can follow directions.

Edit; The bottle and hose or two people manipulating the bleeder valve will work.

 

For a proper bleed, especially on an old system with debris in it, you want a high-velocity purge. Pumping or pressure bleed is the right way. Check out Motive Power Bleeder, kind of overkill, but makes it easy for one person and for difficult-to-bleed modern cars.

Classic American and Marine Trailer Bleeder (Large Cap)

 

No watching bubbles in jars, pressure gizmos, vacuum whozits, gimmicks, waiting on gravity, etc., etc. for me. There's always a kid, friend, spouse, family member, neighbor, or something around you can recruit for 15 minutes to run the pedal. I just attach a hose to the bleeder screw and run it into a Coke cup or whatever is around to keep the mess off the floor and the undercarriage. Open the bleeder and tell them to push down. Close the bleeder and tell then to release. Repeat until you no longer hear or see it spitting air on the pedal stroke. Check and refill the fluid in the master cylinder after about half a dozen pedal strokes. Easy! It's way too simple of a job to complicate with unnecessary equipment or methods.

 

Works great cost me $20.00 to makePump ,Pressure gauge and hose .
I had the fittings and I used the cap off old MC.Works like a charm ,eliminates the need for bench bleeding the MC in a separate process when it is replaced .Just put in 3 quarts or a gallon of your favourite brake fluid ,pump up to 20 PSI and enjoy effortless one person bleeding .

 

what blueovalrage said. start with the farthest cyl from master and work from there forward. right rear--left rear--right front--left front. be sure to keep master full!

 

Will this kit work with a 53 f100? I have a motive bleeder and would love to have a proper cap.

 

It says: "Features custom cap to fit most early model GM and Ford cars and trucks with internally threaded master cylinder reservoirs from the 1930s through the early 1960s with a 1 5/8" male threaded reservoir cap. "

I don't have a '53, so I can't say if that is what they have. Personally, I'd want the rubber, conical adapter, would work on a lot of clutch and brake reservoirs.

 

How did you make this and how does it get the air out and where do you attach it to force fluid in and air out

 

First off, I don't believe gravity bleeding is the total job, it's the first step in the bleeding process to get the bulk of the air out, then have someone pump the pedal for you to get the remainder of the air out (or if you have a pressure bleeder which most people don't ). Gravity bleeding doBesn't get all the air out. I agree with the others that say that if your master cylinder is under the floor it probably won't gravity bleed. A tip on bleeding by pumping the brake pedal is to only let the pedal go down no more than 1/2 way so damage to the master cyl rubber seals won't happen due to the piston traveling farther into the bore than it would under normal brake operation and into the the grunge and rust etc which will cause damage to the seals and pedal leak down after ( or fade to the floor). If you have a new master cyl this is not a concern. Good luck!